A Guide to Tolkien Moots

What they are, differences between various Moots, experiencing them, and things to note.

There is something very difficult to put into words about what Tolkien Moots are until you’ve actually experienced one, but I’m going to try to do exactly that, while still falling short of capturing the experience itself.

They are part academic symposium, part reunion, part creative festival, part social gathering, and somehow, all of those things work together. At their best, Moots are concentrated spaces of fellowship. They are places where people who love Tolkien’s work—whether through scholarship, adaptation studies, art, music, gaming, mythology, language, podcasts, community-building, or simply the comfort and sense of home these stories create—can gather together and briefly exist inside the same shared world.

No two Moots are exactly alike. Each has its own atmosphere, traditions, pacing, features, priorities, and social culture (with a lot of overlap to be fair). Some are deeply academic and schedule-heavy, some are community-oriented and discussion-driven, and some blend scholarship, fandom, creativity, and collaboration in different proportions. None of those approaches are inherently better or worse than the others. They simply offer different kinds of experiences and fulfill different needs within the wider Tolkien community.

And to me, there is nothing quite like them.

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What a Moot Actually Is

People often hear the phrase “Tolkien conference”, which is often the shorthand explanation of what a Moot actually is, and immediately imagine lectures, presentations, and formal academic discussions. And yes—talks, papers, panels, workshops, and structured programming are often a huge part of Moots. But they are also so much more than that.

But Moots are also:

• trivia nights

• karaoke sessions

• masquerades and costumes

• D&D and other TTRPG campaigns

• Lord of the Rings Online gaming nights

• poetry and passage readings

• crafting

• singing (or filking)

• art galleries

• vendor and collector halls

• wandering bookstores together

• drinking with friends

• hotel lobby conversations at 2am

• spontaneous city adventures

• quietly sitting beside someone while your social battery recharges

• entertainment that may scar you for life

Some of the most meaningful parts of a Moot happen entirely outside the official schedule. A panel may stay with you for years, but so might a hallway conversation, a shared meal, or the moment you finally hug someone you had previously only known through Discord usernames and profile pictures. Sometimes the most important thing that happens at a Moot is a presentation, but sometimes it’s realizing you are no longer alone in loving these stories the way you do: ‘Oh. These are my people.’

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You Do Not Need to Be a Tolkien Expert

One of the biggest fears newer attendees often have is some variation of:

“What if I don’t know enough Tolkien and Middle-earth?”

Please hear me when I say this:

There is no threshold of Tolkien/Middle-earth knowledge required to attend a Moot.

None.

Moots are, and should be, for anyone with any level of Tolkien knowledge and with any particular niche interest in Tolkien and the vast ways people engage with his work.

Some people attend because they are scholars. Some because they love the films and/or adaptation studies. Some because they love mythology, language and philology, gaming, music, podcasts and online communities, creative projects, Smials and local groups, and/or art. Some because Tolkien helped them survive difficult periods of life. And some because they simply want to be around people who understand why these stories matter so deeply to them.

And honestly, one of the truths of the Tolkien community, and even the wider fandom, is that many of the people with the deepest knowledge are also some of the kindest and most welcoming. One of my favorite responses I’ve ever seen to someone nervous about attending a Moot was this:

“There are so many levels to fandom and there will always be people who know much more in any field of fandom. But in my experience in the Tolkien world these are the people who are the most friendly and accessible.”

That has absolutely been true in my own experience.

You do not need to contribute intellectually in order to justify your presence at a Moot. You do not need to have read every Letter or all of the Appendices. You do not need to memorize genealogies or linguistic frameworks. (You can if you want to do, though, and definitely share with others—you’ll find people who love that sort of thing as much as you do.)

You are allowed to simply love Tolkien, his works, and Middle-earth, even broader fandoms, in the way you already do.

And contribution itself takes many forms. Contribution can look like presenting a paper, certainly, but it can also look like volunteering, helping someone feel included, supporting creators, asking thoughtful questions, sharing enthusiasm, creating art, listening attentively, or simply showing up and becoming part of the community.

Simply being there is enough.

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Each Moot is Different

Each Moot has its own atmosphere, pacing, priorities, included communities, established schedule, balance of talks and activities, etc. Some lean more academic, and some lean more community-oriented. Some feel sprawling and interconnected, while others feel intimate and familial. None of them are “better” than the others. They are simply different experiences serving different needs.

There are also notable logistical differences between these events. Mythmoot, for example, tends to feel more enclosed because of the National Conference Center setting itself. Meals and some snacks are generally included, which creates a smoother internal flow to the event. By contrast, events like PPP Moot (depending on the year and what we’re able to provide at the event), Oxonmoot, and Westmoot usually involve much more independent food planning, city wandering, meal excursions, and making sure you keep yourself hydrated and fed throughout long days of programming and socializing. Which sounds minor until you realize you accidentally forgot to eat because you spent six hours talking about Tolkien or running around the Moot. Again.

PPP Moot (Or Prancing Pony Podcast Moot)

(Disclaimer: I should probably mention that I am the Event Coordinator for these and they are my pride and joy; they are neither better nor worse than the others, and I consider all Moots to have their strengths and things they can do better, including my own, and recommend folks check out all available events, not just one of my “Silmarils”.)

PPP Moot tends to be one of the most community-centered Moot experiences I’ve attended (and I crafted it to intentionally, hopefully be that way. That’s not to say the others don’t have community focus or experience).

To me, it feels like we’ve become a bit of a blend of the two other large Moots I look up to (and whose Event Coordinators have set a great example for me): Mythmoot and Oxonmoot/Westmoot while still being deeply rooted in the specific warmth and culture of the Prancing Pony Podcast and the community itself. There’s more built-in downtime, discussion time, and informal social interaction because that’s naturally what the PPP community does. The atmosphere often feels more blended between guests, creators, moderators, presenters, and attendees, as Bret Devereaux spent about 5–6 hours proving last year. Some moments, the PPP Moot (or so I’ve been told and have come to accept) feels like a massive nerdy family reunion rather than a Moot.

Mythmoot & Regional Moots

Mythmoot has a similar, but different experience, schedule, and social culture. Because Signum’s scope extends beyond Tolkien alone, the conversations often branch outward into mythology, fantasy, adaptation studies, storytelling theory, science fiction, and broader fandom culture. There is also a strong focus on Sigmum as an organization itself, what it offers, and catching people up on what’s been happening throughout the year since the previous Mythmoot.

It is very interdisciplinary, and offers a range of talks, discussions and activities with which to engage various works and fandoms, not just Tolkien, often including collaborative tasks like the the Silm Film Project, writing pieces of prose together, and designing what a Muppet Lord of the Rings Film might look like, just to name a few examples. One of the things I love most about Mythmoot is how conversations move so fluidly between ideas and projects and collaborations.

Mythmoot takes place at a conference center away from the main city where it takes place, and it can feel like you are sequestered to another plane of existence (or place of faërie) for the duration of the event, with all meals and snacks provided, immersed with scholarship and fandom, within the Signum sphere and community.

Because Signum is an educational organization, there are also opportunities at the event to sit down with Professor Corey Olsen and both learn what projects he currently has under his wing and simply nerd out with him. One can also learn about the classes Signum offers, get a taste of what their proctors are focusing on at the time, and what students have been focusing their studies on.

They also offer single-day events, their Regional Moots*, that are much the same as Mythmoot, but concentrated into a single day, a single theme, and often a single, collaborative event.

*A few of their Regional Moots are multi-day events.

Oxonmoot & Westmoot

Tolkien Society-style events like Oxonmoot and Westmoot often have the densest schedules of the Moots I’ve attended. Their programming tends to be packed once things begin. Talks, activities, discussions, workshops, excursions, presentations, social events, and community gatherings often run throughout the day with very little downtime built into the structure itself, though quiet spaces are provided. That’s not a criticism at all—it’s wonderful. In fact, it’s like arriving at a Tolkien/Middle-earth themed buffet that is continuously flowing with things to pick from and enjoy.

But it is something important to understand beforehand, especially if you are introverted, managing limited social bandwidth, new to Moots, or unfamiliar with the very specific kind of wonderful overwhelm these events can create.

Unlike both my own PPP Moot—and even Signum’s Mythmoot—where downtime and communal hanging-out are more structurally baked into the event itself, Tolkien Society events often involve actively choosing between multiple valuable things at once:

• Do you attend another panel?

• Do you go exploring the city?

• Do you spend time with people you rarely get to see?

• Do you take a break before you completely burn yourself out?

And sometimes, you simply cannot do all of it, which is normal. And often, you will set yourself a plan, events picked out on their wonderful Sched app or the newly created app made by David Marques (who is the Schedule App Wizard for three of the big events now).

Oxonmoot and Westmoot also differ socially because it intentionally gathers multiple overlapping Tolkien communities together in the same space. PPP Moot is mostly PPP folks; Signum events are mostly Signum folks. But Oxonmoot and Westmoot often becomes a convergence point for many different corners of Tolkien fandom all at once, in addition to the Tolkien Society member community itself.

Which is beautiful.

But it also means you’ll naturally see established groups clustering together: Smials, podcast communities, longtime attendees, creators, scholars, friends reconnecting after days, months, or even years apart. I touch more on this in a dedicated section further down, because it’s a very different Moot experience for folks who are a part of those groups and those who haven’t connected with any, some or all of them yet.

Another interesting dynamic at events like Oxonmoot and Westmoot is the expanded visibility and accessibility of prominent figures within Tolkien scholarship, adaptation spaces, publishing, and fandom leadership. These events often create much more direct access to people whose work may have deeply influenced your own Tolkien journey. And that creates a fascinating atmosphere where you can simultaneously feel the existence of various “tiers” while also watching those tiers dissolve in surprisingly human ways. You might end up casually sharing a drink with someone whose scholarship changed how you understand Tolkien. You might help run a booksigning table. You might find yourself in an unexpectedly personal conversation with someone you previously only knew through podcasts, essays, art, or online spaces.

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The Wonderful Overwhelm of Moots

I wanted to specifically focus on the truth that Moots are wonderfully overwhelming experiences. There is often too much you want to attend, too many conversations happening at once, too many people you want to spend time with, and not nearly enough hours in the day to hold all of it. (I’ve joked elsewhere that sometimes I forget to eat and drink because I become so focused and socially engaged. I do not recommend this, to be clear. Also that’s not actually a joke—that has happened.)

For introverts especially, this creates a strange paradox where you are simultaneously energized and exhausted. Having a hotel room available is wonderful even if you barely spend any time in it, because it provides a space where you can step away and decompress for as long as you need. The Moots I have mentioned do also have quiet spaces to decompress as you need, both formal, dedicated spaces and informal ones scattered throughout the locations where they are being held. If you’re attending a particular Moot for the first time, or are new to Moots altogether, I might recommend familiarizing yourself where these spaces are located and what they are called. For me personally, I also recommend having one or two folks who you are comfortable with that you can simply sit with and just turn off for a little bit. Because I’m more ambiverted, I have found that this is particularly helpful to me because it allows me to still quietly socialize while recharging for a bit.

Post-Moot Activities and Post Moot Withdrawal Syndrome

And speaking of recharging, let’s talk about the time after a Moot (or any other Tolkien event for that matter). Folks generally crash in one way or another afterwards, as well as go through something called Post Moot Withdrawal Syndrome (or the experience of being immersed in faërie, around your people, talking about your favorite things, and then suddenly being without that).

But before that, or perhaps to stave it off if even just for a bit, most Moots have Post-Moot Activities, whether it’s an informal space in-person to gather and chat for a bit, or they have an online space on Zoom for the same purpose. Depending on when you are leaving the event, this can be a great way to transition from the Moot to real life, disentangle yourself from the faërie of it all, or even to cling to those last magical moments of being among your people.

Let us return to the Post Moot Withdrawal Syndrome and Post Moot Crash. Depending on how you are wired, whether you are introverted, extroverted or some combination of the two as an ambivert like I am, you may experience one or the other, or as many people do—both.

It can be a hard thing to be among your people for a length of time and then to suddenly be without it again, to be talking about and learning about and immersing yourself in Tolkien, in Middle-earth, in fandom, and then to have to go back to the mundanity of every day life. It can be lonely, isolating, suddenly quiet without the noise and bustle, with each of those things heightened by the withdrawal.

It can also be a relief to be removed from that noise and bustle and intense concentration of Moot experience and community. You get to return to your normal schedule (including your normal sleep schedule), take time for yourself, return to things that need seeing-to, have some quiet once more.

Whether you experience one or the other or both, I might recommend spending time figuring out what you need most and then giving yourself time to do it, whether that looks like going for a walk outside, taking a nap. reading quietly, catching up on chores or digital chores like emails, disengage from social media and online spaces. Or conversely find a Tolkien Smial to join. Start working on that paper or presentation you were inspired and encouraged to write during the Moot. Throw yourself into whichever Tolkien community you’re already a part of. Create that new piece of content or physical creation.

Or, if you’re like me, some combination of the above.

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Finding Fellowship & Navigating Social Dynamics

One of the emotional realities of Moots is that many attendees already know each other. You’ll see established friend groups reconnecting, Smials gathering together, podcast communities clustering, longtime attendees hugging like family, and people naturally gravitating toward familiar faces.

That can feel beautiful.

But if you’re new, it can also sometimes feel intimidating or isolating. I know that feeling deeply.

My first online Moot, and first Moot I attended in any capacity, was the 2020 Mythmoot. I did not know many people at that point, other than the two co-founders of The Prancing Pony Podcast, and a few other friends from around the Tolkien community (mostly known from the PPP community). It was incredibly intimidating, particularly as most attendees already knew each other and were part of the Signum sphere. Even though it was not intentional, I felt like I was outside of the bubble and that it would be hard for me to fit in or pierce that bubble of established familiarity and close-knit community. I am forever grateful to both the Man of the West and the Lord of the Mark, Alan and Shawn, for including me in conversations, messaging me encouragement and inside jokes, and for the much smaller online Spokane Moot that Shawn was presenting at during the same weekend. The smaller event allowed me to make friends with a fellow PPP community member, who has now become a steadfast friend and a go-to person for when I need some time to recharge quietly with someone else at an event.

For newer people, I want to say this: I get it. I’ve been there. I know exactly what it’s like to be on the outside and be new and feel out-of-place. And I remember that experience vividly. (I have become good friends with and more familiar with the Signum community and am very active in their online spaces during Mythmoot now, along with a few others.) If you feel comfortable or can push yourself a little bit, go up to folks, introduce yourself. Join conversations. Most of us truly want new people there.

And for those of us who are veterans or longtime attendees, I also want to gently reinforce something important from the perspective of someone who runs and helps run communities and coordinates events (up to 14/15 now—I need to recount): It is often much easier for an established attendee to notice someone standing awkwardly on the edge of the room and intentionally include them than it is for a nervous newcomer to force themselves into an already close-knit conversation. Especially when they already feel uncomfortable or out of place. That doesn’t mean anyone is doing anything wrong. But it does mean we can all try to bridge those gaps more intentionally. Small gestures matter enormously in spaces like these.

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A Note to Introverts & Anxious Newcomers

If you’re new and recognize me at a Moot and feel awkward, overwhelmed, anxious, or unsure how to join in…

Come find me if we’ve met before (either in-person or online) or if you know what I look like, or let me know you’d like to meet up, I will happily:

• introduce you to people

• pull you into conversations

• let you quietly stand beside me

• sit with you

• keep you company until you feel more grounded

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Online Moots Matter Too

I also think online Tolkien events sometimes get unfairly treated as lesser experiences compared to in-person Moots (that’s not the same as having a preference for one or the other). They aren’t, though. They are different experiences, certainly, but they can still be deeply meaningful, community-shaping, and even life-changing.

My own Moot/Tolkien Event journey honestly began with Tolkien Reading Day 2020, coordinated by Marcel and Urulókë, two people who genuinely became inspirations to me in terms of community and event coordination. It was entirely online, and entirely soul-filling. People spent the entire day simply reading Tolkien and having Tolkien read to them. And somehow that became one of the most emotionally meaningful fandom experiences I’ve ever had (and it certainly helped ignite everything I do now). That event connected people from across many different corners of Tolkien fandom: Tolkien Society folks, PPP folks, German Tolkien Society members, TCG folks, creators, artists, scholars, fans, and community organizers.

Online Oxonmoot eventually helped lead me toward finding my Smial and even played a role in me moving to Texas. That’s how powerful these spaces can be. Online events can also be invaluable stepping stones for introverts or anxious newcomers because they allow you to begin building relationships before attending in person.

My own online PPP Moot I coordinated before I coordinated my first in-person PPP Moot made an enormous difference for me socially, both in fundamentally changing how I was wired as an introverted to making me much more extroverted and connected me with the PPP community on a much broader level.

And honestly, many times the online friendships and side conversations become just as meaningful as the in-person events themselves.

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Why Moots Matter

At a certain point, Moots stop feeling like events or Tolkien conferences and start becoming something much more personal. They become places where friendships deepen, Smials form, collaborations begin, creative projects emerge, and people realize they belong somewhere. I joined my Smial because of a Moot, and other people I know formed their Smials because of Moots (including at ones I’ve coordinated). I’ve met some of my closest friends because of Moots. I’ve gotten to sit beside people whose work changed my life. I’ve helped run booksigning tables. I’ve wandered cities with Tolkien nerds. I’ve tackled friends I hadn’t seen in years (and been bowled over by others). I’ve sat in corners watching other people find their people for the first time. And there is something profoundly beautiful about witnessing someone(s) realize they belong somewhere.

You never really know what a Moot might open for you until you attend one. And you should.